Notes:

Set 5 years after Journey to the Blue Mountains. Thorin is forced to make a decision that could change his whole life all over again.

More obscure made up dwarf traditions based very much on the celtic tradition of Fostering, in which a family will put a child to be fostered by another for all of their young lives in order to gain new skills for the family or to ensure peace between clans is maintained.

I wasn't happy with how my first try at this was working. I was just sort of looking at the screen and couldn't write, so I'm giving it another go. The main focus of this story is going to be Thorin and Kili, because I've gone and given Thorin a favourite nephew to play with and I feel the need to explore his relationship with his not so favourite one.
First three chapters are exactly the same, I just needed a clean slate to work from, so sorry anyone who reviewed before. don't feel that you have to review again if you don't want to.

xxx

Thorin very deliberately put the parchment down before his fingers curled into fists, his eyes seeking out Balin, the appointed Scholar and Keeper of Tradition for some sign that he could refuse this, could crush it into a ball and toss it into the Kings Forge and forget the whole sordid idea. But Balins expression gave him no peace of mind. This was a legitimate request, and one Thorin could not ignore, no matter how much he wanted it.

"No." he said, glad to find that his voice did not crack.

He could see Balin sigh and steel himself for the coming argument, and he nearly felt bad for his old friend, but he was, at this time, far more concerned with the contents of the letter in front of him.

"It is tradition Thorin King." Balin said.

Thorin slammed a fist to the table. "Damn Tradition!" he growled.

"As is your right." Balin said mildly. "But you are still bound by it. To be fair, he is asking less time than he could." It was hardly a concession and everyone knew this. 50 years instead of the usual 80, still more than enough time for a young dwarf to adopt a new clan as his own, and even perhaps form another Family Bond with his Foster family.

Fostering was deemed to be one of the great old traditions, laid down when the wars of men and elves raged around them, and war fever was beginning to settle amongst the dwarves as well. To halt any war before it could begin one of the Kings sent his many children to each of the other clans as Fosterlings, so as to state that he would not attack any clan who held one of his children, and in return that clan was obligated not to attack him. All the other dwarven kingdoms did the same, for in those days there were many children to go around. Over time as their numbers had slowly dwindled and babes became rarer as threats of war on them disappeared near entirely, the tradition was left in place as nothing more than a nod to the old ways, a way for dwarf clans to strengthen bonds between them, arrange marriages and other such political arrangements.

A King who held advantage over another, as King Usar of the North Mountains did over Thorin, could request a Fosterling, and request that they remain with him for the whole of the young dwarf's life, a way to cement the peace and treaty between their people. It was considered a great honour to have a child requested by a Higher King, it spoke of protection and allowance and trust.

"Is there no way around it?" Thorin asked, not pleading, but there was a note of unhappiness to his voice that could not be ignored.

Balin shook his head gravely. "To say no would bring distrust down on us Thorin King, and we can ill afford such distrust, not if we should ever have need of our cousins in the North Mountains."

Thorin looked again at the letter. "But... Kili is too young still." he said, eyes scanning the words again, searching for any loophole, any way to get out of sending Kili away his nephew would not take kindly to it he was sure, the betrayal might well destroy him.

"That is why Usar wants him." Dwalin said when no one else could. "He is Battleborn, and due to begin his training soon. Usar wants to be in control of his training."

"In order to control him." Thorin said. "I know this. There has not been a Battleborn in Usars Halls for generations, it is too peaceful here. And Usar wants the loyalty of one. I know this." If he agreed and sent his young nephew to Usars Halls then in 50 years when he returned he would note the same child they knew, his loyalty would be forever fragmented, and would unlikely fall in their favor. He would lose his nephew forever, deprive Fili of his little brother and his most loyal supporter and he could not do that.

He could not.

Balin made a small sound and Thorin cast his attention back to him. "There might be one thing you can try." he said.

"What?" Thorin asked, grasping for any solution he could.

Balin looked troubled, and Thorin became instantly wary, he would like this suggestion worse he feared. "You could send Fili instead-"

"What?" he roared, the mere idea. To send his heir to Usar, for 50 years, the answer could only be no.

"Thorin, listen, he has more to say." Dwalin told him.

Thorin sat back and waited, eyeing Balin darkly.

"Sending your heir is considered a great honour. Because of that honour you can bargin the years down significantly, because you will need time to train your heir and cannot be without him for so long." Balin said, meeting Thorin's eyes squarely.

"How long?" Thorin asked, closing his eyes as if he could block out the entire ordeal.

"Five years. Had Usar waited ten years he could bargin for more, but five years is all we can spare of an heir as young as Fili." Balin said.

There was silence for a drawn out moment before Thorin spoke again. "Leave me."

He waited until the door had closed behind them and he was alone before he curled his fingers into his hair and bent his head forward to stare blankly at the page. The answer should be an easy one, should be so easy. But Thorin found himself unable to make it.

Kili was too young, too free, too easily broken to be sent away for long. He would lose himself Thorin was sure, and Thorin did not want to be responsiable for that. Could not be responsiable for that. So the answer should be simple, send Fili for five years, just five unberably long years with no contact. But Thorins heart rebelled at the thought of being seperated from his nephew for even so short a time.

As with so very much in his life right now, Thorin did not know what to do.